Too Little, Too Late
by Atatami
Summary: Robin, the Boy Wonder, Bat Brat, Golden boy of Gotham, thought he could do anything. That was until Slade Wilson came into the picture. Trapped as the mercenaries apprentice with no hope of escaping, and an ever growing rage building, will Robin turn fully towards darkness... Or will a certain Bat pull him back towards the light?
1. Too Little, Too Late I

**I hope everyone enjoys my VERY DARK AND DEPRESSING short story.**

 **(I seriously think there is something wrong with me for conjuring up this beast filled with feels ・ω・)**

Mechanisms and machines hard at work sounded all around them. The constant noise was slightly numbing, yet also very distracting.

Two figures stood very still in the room that was coated in darkness. But they were not the only ones who were present. However, they were the only ones who remained alive.

Four forms lay still on the cold, metal floor. Two young women, and two young men. One of the girls was very tan, had bright, almost strawberry coloured hair, and a vibrant purple uniform that strongly resembled that of a cheerleaders. The other girl was very pale, and had dark, purple hair with a long, dark cloak to match.

The third form on the floor was a man who was half man, half robot, with dark skin and very muscular. The other boy who lay next to him was green, and much smaller and leaner than the one beside him.

All of them lay lifeless on the floor. And the two figures who remained alive had opposite reactions to the teens who lay dead on the ground, their futures flickering into nothingness.

One of the people standing was filled with pleasure. He had killed the one thing that stood between him and his apprentice, and now, hopefully the young boy would cooperate. It may take some time and a slight push in the right direction, but he was sure he had just ensured himself a loyal protègè to pass his knowledge.

Or, at the very least, taken a major step to getting the teen to that point.

The other figure stood in shock. He had yet to comprehend what had just transpired in the lair of his greatest enemy. All he could do at the moment was stare at the lifeless bodies of his teammates, his friends, and try to understand that they were gone.

They would never laugh together again. Never fight together. Never hang out. Never have food fights. And never again would Robin, the Boy Wonder of Gotham, gaze into the eyes of the girl he loved more than anything.

He would never hear Beast Boy and Raven argue about some small action. Never help Cyborg fix the T-Car or their jet. Robin would never again feel Starfires hand in his, or her scent that seemed to be only her.

Then, as if a wave suddenly crashed into him, the ebony crumbled to the ground, landing on his knees in front of his friends. A tear escaped from his mask, and soon a sob wretched itself from his chest.

Slade took immense pleasure in watching his apprentice suffer in this way. He actually found it slightly curious. The mercenary had lost all of his empathy and care for others long ago, and he briefly wondered if he had reacted the same way when he first watched someone die. He could have, as Slade didn't remember feeble moments such as that, but he sincerely doubted that he cried.

While Slade watched Robin sob, the boys mind finally pieced it together that they were dead. And worst of all, he knew he could have done something to stop it.

He could have fought Slade harder. He could have sacraficed himself. He could have found an antidote during his time with the mercenary and given it to the Titans. At the very least, Robin could have warned his friends about the imminent danger they were in.

Instead of being the hero, all he did to save his friends was stand there, all but groveling at the feet of his nemesis, while one eye stared down at him in satisfaction.

But now they were gone, and he just stood there and watched it happen while he could have done something to prevent it. Just like when his parents were murdered.

He couldn't save them. And he couldn't save his friends either.

He was a hero, wasn't he? If that were true, then why do the people around him always end up dead? He was supposed to protect the public, but how can he do that if he can't even protect the ones closest to him?

Robins sobs became more violent, and he brought his hands to his face in a feeble attempt to hide his tears. His chest soon became heavy, both with the pain of crying and something more. It was almost like a emptiness overwhelmed him, and was weighing him down.

This feeling enveloped the ebony as he continued to break down, the man standing mere yards away becoming slightly annoyed with his seemingly endless sobbing. But he was a patient man, and would wait until the boy was at least coherent before he spoke a word.

And after what felt like hours of just sitting there, grieving his lost friends, Robin finally calmed down, even if he was still crying silently. His eyes were bloodshot behind his mask and his tears left a clearly visible track down his face.

Then, as if Slade finally decided that his apprentice had enough time to grieve, the one eyed man strode over to Robin in confidence.

Once fully behind the young boy at his feet, he simply gazed down at him with a analytical glance. He needed to plan his words carefully. The mercenary needed to have the right affect on Robin, and if he uttered a single word that was out of place, he would lose that advantage.

With a slight nod that only the most vigilant could notice, he decided how to act. Placing what he thought to be a comforting hand on the boys shoulder, he began to speak.

"You knew that this would happen, Robin. I warned you, yet you did not listen. Take this as a lesson."

Slade slowly walked around Robin, as a predator would prey. Stopping in front of him, the man knelt down and gently placed two of his fingers under the boys chin, lifting it so they would be facing each other.

Robin uncovered his face at this action, and looked into the eye of the man who he despised. But now, he felt fear and anxiousness overwhelm him as he gazed into the man's single eye.

"Remember this day, Robin. And never forget what happened here, as the same thing will happen to your other loved ones if you ever disobey me again."

With this, he swiftly stood up and paced over to the four dead teens on the floor. Facing away from the grieving boy he looked at the corpses in satisfaction and amusement. Amusement from the thought that the Teen Titans had a fleeting hope that they could have actually defeated him. Satisfaction at the thought he just got rid of four annoying bugs at once, while also gaining himself an apprentice.

"Go and rest now, apprentice. I have work to do, and soon, so will you."

Numbly, without thinking, Robin got up from his position on the floor and followed Slade's order. Normally, Robin would rebute or grumble in protest, but he was just too exhausted. It seemed that with the death of his friends, he was currently just an empty shell. He didn't find any drive to rebel against the man who ruined his life, but instead felt compelled to listen to him.

Robin immediately thought that he had finally succumbed to Slade. Which, in a way, was true.

As Robin walked out of the room, he could almost physically feel his fight draining from him. He no longer felt as if he needed to go against what Slade said, and a large part of him agreed with this.

The fire inside of the bird had been doused, and only a miracle would be able to spark it once again.

Three weeks later 

~~~ Gotham ~~~

Gunshots echoed around the alleyway as three men scuffled in the dark of the night. The shots and other noises went seemingly unnoticed, however, as the whole street seemed to be deserted. The only sounds that were heard was the occasional chirp of a passing pigeon, passing cars near the heart of the city, and the shouts of the men.

One of the men let another shot loose, but the thing he was shooting at dodged it with ease. And in one swift motion, the man who shot at the figure cloaked in darkness was on the ground, unconscious.

The other man, armed with only a switchblade, trembled in his shoes as his eyes darted along the dark alleyway. He was well aware that his accomplaice was knocked down at his feet, and knew it was only a matter of time before he joined his friend. But, alas, he was quite stubborn, and wanted to put up a good fight before he was inevitably sent to prison.

He did not get this chance. Before the man could blink, the large figure was right behind him, and with one well aimed punch in the head, he was slumped on the ground with his friend.

The Dark Knight leered over the two criminals in silence for a moment before putting them both in handcuffs and alerting the police of their whereabouts. He then picked up the bag that the first man had dropped, which he deserted in an attempt to lose the Bat, and looked at its contents.

Inside was a multitude of jewelry from earings, necklaces, and rings. Most were merely store-bought, cheap pieces, but some were actually high priced and diamond encrusted.

Grunting, he walked past the two goons while dropped the plain paper bag infront of them.

Hearing police sirens in the distance getting increasingly louder, he made his way to his vehicle and slipped inside with ease. Revving the engine, he took off in the opposite direction of the police sirens, completely disregarding any possible speed laws this side of the city might have.

As he speed into a seemingly random direction, he checked the time. 4:43. Almost time to stop patrolling.

With this thought, Batman reached to one of the buttons on the Bat-mobile, and gently pressed it. The screen in the center of the vehicle filled with static, but was quickly replaced with a picture of an old man. Behind him was a dark cave, and many other vehicles, which were all also bat themed.

"You have anything else, Alfred?" Batman asked his loyal butler. The British man shook his head slightly in reply.

"No, nothing, sir. It was a quiet night for crime, was it not?"

The bat grunted in reply, which the butler translated to a 'yes'.

"Were those two theives any trouble?" Alfred asked, trying to carry on some kind of conversation to gently ease into the matter he wanted to speak about.

"Not at all. Petty thieves who just needed some more money." was the man's only reply as he took a sharp turn into a dark alleyway.

"That is good sir, very good." Alfreds attenpt at a conversation quickly failed, and Batman noticed that the older man almost seemed anxious. Nervous, if possible.

Under his cowl, Batman rose an eyebrow.

"What is it Alfred?" he asked, knowing he did not need to explain what he meant to him. The two always had a special bond, and they always seemed to know what each other meant without even asking.

Just like someone else Batman previously knew.

Alfred cleared his throat before replying.

"Well, it would be better if I show you when you arrive back at the Manor." was the reply, which made Batman even more suspicious.

Alfred was known to be cryptic, but when he was worried about something, he always told it straight forward. It slightly worried Bruce that whatever his butler had to tell him, he insisted he be shown himself.

"Alright, be back there soon."

Shutting off the video feed, Batman speed through Gotham and back towards his home. And, ignoring most speed limitations, the trip home was less than ten minutes.

Steamrolling to an entrance to his cave, Batman pressed a button and an opening appeared, just large enough for any and all of the Dark Knights various toys.

The already dark sky disappeared, and was replaced by the almost welcoming shadows of the Batcaves interior. Darkness, after all, was the Batman's element, and it would almost be ridiculous if he did not live in some sort of underground fortress.

But, even still, nothing could compare to the manor that lay above the cave. Wayne Manor, to be precise.

As it approached the base of the fortress, the Batmobile gradually decelerated, coming to a stop perfectly next to the Batwing.

Climbing out of the vehicle, Batman made his way over to his faithful butler. But as he strode closer, a wave of unease and nervousness spilled over him, almost making him stop in his tracks. It had been a shock to feel such powerful emotions. Especially bad ones.

He had always thought of himself as a rather emotionless person, after all. And even though he acted as the playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne for the public, that was merely just that. An act. Bruce had rarely ever felt those kinds of emotions in his day to day life, and especially when he was going out as Batman.

Being a hero meant blocking out most emotion, anyway, which was why he was one of the best out there. Even if his methods could be controversial.

That was why the sudden change startled him. Batman hadn't felt anything like that for months, maybe even a year.

Ever since he didn't have a partner to worry about anymore.

This thought pulled the Bat out of his stupor, and he continued down to the main room where Alfred would be waiting, once again emotionless.

As he neared, Bruce saw the light from the Batcomputer shine throughout the cave. Alfred stood rigid in front of it, looking at what seemed to be a newspaper article. And as Batman approached the startled old man, he read the title of the article, and he stopped in his tracks.

It read 'Four Dead, One Missing', which, normally, wouldn't be that big of a deal. Those things happened all the time in Gotham and it's neighboring cities. But this newspaper was published on the other side of the country.

The paper had come from Jump City, and as far as Batman knew, murders were almost as uncommon as meteors there.

And Batman also knew that this city was the one his protègè had relocated to, starting his own team, The Teen Titans.

His worry growing, he slowly made his way to be all the way in front of the screen. No words were exchanged between the men as Bruce read the article on the front page.

This morning, four teens were found dead in an alleyway near the esteemed Wayne Enterprises. There was no evidence to suggest murder, or any sort of foul play at hand. After a thorough police investigation, the bodies were confirmed to be belonging to the resident heroes of Jump City; Raven, Beastboy, Starfire, and Cyborg, four members of the Teen Titans. All of the city mourns the loss of four such young heroes, but one question remains; where is their leader? There is no trace of Robin, the Boy Wonder of Gotham. Authorities have tried every method they have of contacting the Gothamite, but all have led to a dead end. As he has not been seen in over forty-eight hours, he has been confirmed missing, and any citizens that have seen him are to report to the JCPD immediately. With any luck, Robin will be found safe and sound. Jump City will forever remember the Titans that fought so hard to protect us, and we can only hope that the Boy Wonder has not met the same horrific fate of his teammates, who's lives were mysteriously cut short. Investigation is still being taken place on how exactly the four teens passed, but there has been nothing found as of now. All of Jump prays for the safe return of Robin, and until he is found, either deceased or alive, we can only rely on luck to protect us from the horrors of the world.

The picture that accompanied the text was of the Teen Titans. They all looked happy, even Raven, who was known for showing little to no emotion.

Batmans fists tightened as his gaze locked on the teen standing in the middle, looking proud to be surrounded by his friends and teammates. It was the most recent picture he had seen of Robin, and he was almost suprised to see him smile. Even if it was only a shadow of one.

A growing anger rose inside of the man as he read over the article once more. He knew that Alfred could sense him getting even more agitated, but he didn't care. All he knew was that his bird had gone missing.

And it was all his fault.

The last time he saw Robin was when he was storming out of the cave, steam practically blowing out of his ears in rage. Only hours before, the ebony had been shot in the shoulder in a confrontation with The Joker. Batman then made a decision that he knew Dick would disapprove of, and most likely refuse. Yet he still did it, wanting to protect him from this life.

But by doing so, Bruce had unwittingly led Robin into even more danger.

He had 'fired' his protègè, thinking it would prevent him from getting in any more trouble. Robin was infuriated immediately by this development, and proceeded to run away, eventually forming the Teen Titans.

Batman couldn't shake the thought that he did this. Whatever had happened, or whatever was happening, was all because of him.

If only he kept his mouth shut. Robin had worse injuries before, so why did a simple bullet to the shoulder make the Dark Knight finally go over the edge? Maybe it was because Joker was the one who fired it, or he was just being too overprotective.

Whatever the case, Batman knew he had to right his wrongs. Hopefully that time wouldn't come too late.

Hopefully, Robin would be perfectly fine as Batman appolagized for what he said.

Even though this is what he hoped would happen, he knew that there was a more likely chance he might never get to say these words.

He may never get to say it to a boy who isn't in the hospital for months or dead.

Whatever happens to his little bird, would be all his fault. And the guilt of that may be too much for even Batman to bare.

 ** _"There is good, and there is evil_**

 ** _There are those who commit crime, and those who stop them_**

 ** _These two sides are opposite_**

 ** _As different as night and day_**

 ** _And the line between them is clear_**

 ** _Or at least it's supposed to be"_**

 ** _~Robin_**


	2. Too Little, Too Late II

The wall in front of him was a dull gray, and at the moment, was the only thing he was interested in looking at. All of the walls around him were the same as this, but for some reason, the one he looked at seemed more appealing.

It represented his state of mind in a way. Blank. Empty. Ready to be filled with whatever anyone pleased, whether it was by him or his captor. No matter how much he tried to fill it with anything but the endless gray, he couldn't succeed.

It was better than thinking about what he had just went through, though. If anything, it was almost more preferred, no matter how much the emptiness may have bothered him.

Robin couldn't think of a single thing that would make this better. He had officially lost hope, and he knew it. Even if the ebony didn't want to accept it. After all, everyday he was trapped he would still be hopeful that his friends would somehow save him from this hell he lived in. It was what kept him going, what kept him fighting.

Now that they were gone, he knew no one would help him.

Soon the world would know him as just another criminal. Or more accurately, the Apprentice to a very lethal one.

When that happens, there was also a very likely chance that the Justice League may pursue him. He could practically see all of the awe-stricken faces when they saw the first ever hero companion turn villain.

The one face he had the hardest time imagining was Batman's. Robin could see him being dissapointed, but also angry, sad, and suprised. Seeing as how they had left things, it was no wonder the boy did not know how his ex-mentor would react.

Then, after almost three days of doing nothing but training, eating, and looking at a wall, his thoughts lingered on his previous mentor and father figure.

He got so lost in thought, as he had the mental strength to only think of very little, he almost missed the announcement from his ear piece.

"Meet me in the Mission room in twenty minutes. Do not be late." Slade's voice was curt, and Robin knew that he had something planned for him. The only time he ever used his ear piece was when he had to train, after all. He could only assume the madman would use the same type of communication to tell Robin of other things as well.

Begrudgingly, he torn his gaze away from the wall and turned toward the place where his uniforms were stored. Trudging over, he opened the small compartment and looked at what he was supposed to wear.

The suit he had been given looked strikingly like Slade's, and it sent shivers down his spine just thinking about it. The man already said that they were alike, why did they have to have simmiliar uniforms?

'Because I'm just Slade's little pet', Robin thought remorsfully.

With a sigh, he slipped the suit onto him with unease. Putting it on always made him shiver. It felt so unnatural and foreign. His Robin uniform felt comfortable and warm, while this one was cold and dark. He hated it with all his heart, and wished that he could wear his old suit just one more time before he committed any terrible acts.

Robin knew that would probably never happen, but he still wanted it to.

The only upside to wearing it was that he could sport an upgraded version of his old mask, instead of the metal slab Slade wore on his face.

After slipping on the godforsaken uniform, he made his way to the door to his room while checking the clock, making sure he would be right on time. Figuring he had about a two minute walk to the Mission room, he twisted the doorknob until it opened with a satisfying 'click', then stepped out into a hallway that was just as plain as his room. But instead of the gray walls, these were a voidless black, with only occasional lights to lead the way through the winding maze.

Striding down the halls, with many twists and turns along the way, he made it to the room he was ordered to just as his deadline passed.

Walking in, he saw Slade standing in front of his many large screens, both hands clasped behind his back as he observed the images. Robin paid little attention the the pictures that rotated between the screens, and instead opted to walk closer to his 'Master'.

The Boy Wonder had learned to despise that word. 'Master'. Slade had wanted him to start calling him that, and when he first refused, he was severely punished. And everytime he spoke the simple word, a sense of anger and uselessness came over him. Anger at what he had been reduced to, and uselessness at how he didn't rebel harder.

"Robin, look at these photos." Slade suddenly said, and Robin came to a halt next to him, now forced to notice the images.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

All of the pictures were related to the billionaire Bruce Wayne. Whether it was his buildings, him at a press conference, a paparazzi photo, or simply him posing for a picture with someone important, it all came back to him.

Robin looked over to Slade in shock and nervousness, but tried hard to not let it show through. If there was one thing he refused to do, it was reveal to his captor that he knew Bruce. That would warrant questions, and the madman might start piecing things together.

If he hadn't already figured it out. Slade may have been psycotic, but he was extremely intelligent.

The man that toward over Robin didn't spare a glance at him as he continued to look at the photos.

"Now, what did you notice about all of these images?" he asked, now looking at Robin with his one steely eye.

The boy had to take a nervous gulp before replying, staring at Slade's emotionless mask in unease.

"They're all related to Bruce Wayne."

Slade nodded in content before continuing.

"You are correct. And your next mission pertains to this man in particular." He paused for a moment to let Robin retain that information, then began again.

"You see, Mr. Wayne has something I want. Something I need, if I want to be precise. And you are to retrieve it for me. If you fail, you know what will happen."

At this threat, Robin nodded, knowing full well the pain and suffering Slade could bring to him. The man turned back to the screens once more, and looked at one with particular interest.

Robin held his breath as he watched his eye graze over the picture thoughtfully, soaking in all the information the image had to offer.

It was one that was not previously there. Bruce was smiling charmingly at the camera while he held a ten year old Dick Graysons hand. Robin looked at his younger self and felt sorry for him. If only he knew what his future held.

Then, in an attempt to break the man's gaze next to him, he asked a question, hoping to distract the man from any suspicions.

"What I am I supposed to retrieve?"

Slade looked back at him for a moment, and Robin could practically hear the smirk underneath his inhuman mask.

"You will not be informed of that until you reach your destination."

At this, the ebony looked at the man looming beside him questioningly, but did not probe him further.

It still made him slightly nauseous that Slade had his eye on Bruce. Just over three weeks into the forced apprenticeship, and now he his targeting a prominent figure in Robins life?

Either it was all a huge coincidence, or Slade knew who Robin was, and in turn, also the Dark Knights identity. Seeing as how he was trained not to believe anything happened by chance, the latter was much more likely.

However, that didn't make it any easier to wrap his head around.

Just the mere concept of his captor knowing his past, where he had grown up, who he was behind the mask, made his skin crawl.

The mask, his hero identity, was one of his only life lines in his crazy, messed up world. It gave him a sense of confidence. Without it, he might as well be what the public had pinned him as; a weak circus kid adopted by a billionaire as a charity case.

Without the mask he wore, he was just a kid. A weak, vulnerable child who still had to learn about the world in which he lived in. Sure, maybe not every kid does his type of work, but it doesn't change the facts.

And if the man before him knew who Robin, the Boy Wonder of Gotham, his apprentice, truly was behind his hero facade, the boy did not know what he would do.

He was pulled out of these thoughts by Slade speaking once more, his voice coated with eagerness and desire, making the hairs on the back of the boys neck go alert.

"You will leave in no more than an hour. Gather all the items that you might need, and go to the nearest Wayne Enterprise building."

So far, it sounded as if the mission would be simple. But nothing is ever simple with psychopaths, is it?

"Then, once inside the building, get to a vantage point and set off an alarm. Once this is completed, do not leave. Wait until I order you to switch locations."

This slightly suprised him, as he knew Slade to be more fond of stealth. Why on earth would he want to set off an alarm? Did he want Robin to get caught by the police force, or possibly even the Justice League, if anyone was even nearby?

Questions like these swarmed the Boy Wonder had like pesky mosquito's, and Slade was smirking under his mask at the boys expression of bewilderment.

His apprentice had so much to learn. And after tonight, he would have Robins full loyalty in order to mentor him.

Slade plan would not fail. He had calculated it too many times, and only three of those conclusions ended in him losing his apprentice completely. But, if those situations ever arose, he had contingency plans, and even more after those of they turned out to be useless.

It was full-proof.

By the end of the night Slade will have ensured himself a completely loyal apprentice to pass his knowledge to.

Robin would be his, and no one would stand in his way. And if he had to break the boy even more to reach his goal, then so be it.

Slade refused to fail.

The only thing the man didn't count on was the boys rebellious and teenage spirit, which would later prove fatal in the mercenaries master plan.

 **Gotham, The Batcave**

"Recognized: Superman, 01"

"Bruce! I received your distress signal! What's going on!?" The red and blue clad scout exclaimed as he flew into the Batcave frantically, looking in all directions for any sign of danger.

Now aware of no immediate danger in the cave, he focused on trying to find the Bat himself, only to be puzzled to find an empty cavern before him.

His panic now settling, he landed and walked further in, looking around with one eyebrow raised at all times. He did not see anything amiss. All of the relics were intact, nothing was broken, the bats still hung on the ceiling, and, as usual, the surrounding was coated in complete darkness.

"Bruce?" Superman called out once again, turning his head in all directions as he made his way to the Batcomputer. He looked up to the screen, only to find it completely shut off.

That small detail set off small alarm bells in his head, as the computer was always on. Even when Batman himself was not present in the cave or he had no need for it, the screen was illuminated and ready to be used at a moment's notice.

As Superman stared at the screen in curiosity and slight nervousness, a large shadow came up behind him, not making a single noise as he approached.

"Clark." Batman announced monotonously from behind the boy scout, making him jump out of fright and spin around with inhuman speed to stare at the Bat with an alarmed expression.

But as he realized it was not a threat, Superman relaxed. His previous alarm was now replaced by inquiry, and he looked at the Dark Knight with an expression that clearly showed his confusion.

"Uh, there you are. Why'd you press the distress signal?"

At this, Batman simply turned and walked towards the Batwing, Clark following behind, waiting for his question to be answered.

Then, just as Batman looked as if he was going to climb into the aircraft and leave without an explanation, he turned and faced the boy scout with an emotionless expression.

Which, for once, was hard for the Bat to pull off considering the current events.

"I need you to watch over Gotham until I return. I don't know when I'll be back, but call if you or the League need my assistance."

"Wait, you're leaving? Why? And why couldn't you just call me over the normal way instead of releasing a distress signal?"

To be perfectly honest to himself, Superman wasn't expecting an answer. So when Batman started to speak, he was a bit perplexed.

Usually, the Batman never explained himself or his actions.

"I'm leaving because of personal buisness, and I needed you to get here fast because what I am dealing with could be a possible life or death situation. Now, are you going to look over Gotham, or not?"

The kryptonian looked at Batman, shocked by his urgent tone. As Bruce, he would show emotion, but as Batman, it was almost impossible to detect any hint of it in his voice. Seeing his friend so worried made him worry, too.

And if the Dark Knight would give up his city to him so easily, it had to be some really big 'personal buisness'.

Then, it finally pieced together in his mind. He only knew of a few other instances when the Bat became this worried and frantic, and that was when one of his family members were in danger.

And seeing as he knew Alfred was dusting old paintings and vases upstairs, that could only leave one possible explanation.

"It's Robin, isn't it? Is he hurt?"

Batman paused at this, actually suprised Clark had enough brains to figure it out, but did not face him. Instead he kept his back towards him, and only looked sideways, seeing him in his peripheral vision.

"I don't know," he said uncertainly, but quickly turned to a more determined tone. "but I'm going to find out."

Before he could jump into the Batwing and fly to Jump City, however, Superman grabbed his wrist, making him stop in his tracks. Wrenching his arm out of the kryptonians grip, he glared daggers at the man.

Clark gulped at the Bats steely stare, but quickly regained composure.

"Let me help you. Robin's just as much a part of my family as he is yours." he said softly, a pleading look in his eyes.

Batman's look became sympathetic for a moment, but it swiftly turned back to one of determination when he put a hand on the boy scouts shoulder.

"You can help me by watching over my city." With these words, Batman gave Superman's shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning around, his cape fluttering quietly behind him as he climbed into the cockpit of the Batwing.

"Bruce," Superman began, an almost desperate tone to his voice. From the window, The Dark Knight looked down at his friend with a now unemotional stare.

"...bring him home." were the boy scouts final words before he flew slowly out of the cave via zeta tubes.

Once the bright light diminished, Bruce looked at the spot he was standing one last time before starting the engine of the large vehicle. Hovering off of the ground, Batman pushed a button and with a slight hiss, a panel opened above, revealing the gray sky's that scattered across Gotham.

Lifting out of the cave, the Bats grip on the steering mechanism tightened. With one final look below, he launched towards Jump City at full speed, not caring if he was breaking any laws.

As he stared into the horizon, he could see the sun peering over the land, just barely casting its light onto the city. But the beauty of it only reached Gotham's streets in slivers, the dark, looming clouds blocking the light.

Seeing this sight sparked something inside of him, and an unfamiliar feeling filled his chest.

For the first time in a long time, he was hopeful. Hopeful that his protègè, his son, the person he lived for, would be absolutely fine.

Sure, it may not have been very realistic, but what Batman felt filled him with courage.

He just hoped that wherever Robin could have been, he hadn't given up. If that had happened, Batman didn't know if he could bring the light back.

Thinking about Clark's words one more time, he tried pushing the acceleration further, muttering a determined response that Superman will never hear.

"I intend to, no matter the cost."

 ** _"Even in the darkest of times, there is always hope._**

 ** _But sometimes fear clouds our vision._**

 ** _Sometimes our strength gives out._**

 ** _Yet sometimes, when all seems lost, a light shines through the darkness, and we are reminded that even the smallest amount of courage can turn the tides of war."_**

 ** _~Ignitus_**


	3. Too Little, Too Late III

**WARNING: _This is where the T rating comes in, there is swearing and slight gore. Also, just a precaution, this is probably the longest chapter I have ever written, and it would be best to find a place and read this all in one go to get the full effect. Enjoy the chapter full of FEELS AND ANGST!_**

Robin ran across the stark roof of the building with lightning speed. Then, coming to the edge, he jumped. If there were any spectators to this dangerous event, they would be looking up and gasping in terror.

But before he could plummet to his untimely demise, he did a quick flip and whipped out his grappling gun, shooting it to another building.

Bringing himself in, he expertly landed on the next rooftop, repeating this process until he was close enough to his destination to take a different approach.

A few buildings away, bright white letters illuminated the night sky. And also giving a perfect beacon to the facility he was supposed to break into.

A slight breeze of cool night air flowed passed him, making Robin shiver under the thin fabric of his uniform. Although, he was unsure if that was really the reason he was shivering.

It could have also easily been the thought of breaking into one of his ex-mentors and adoptive fathers many buildings. And not as Robin, the Boy Wonder, on some mission. No, this time it would be as a criminal, a madman's apprentice. That kind of thinking alone was also a possibility of why he was shivering.

Finally, after a few moments of just staring at the large, glowing white letters that spelt 'Wayne', he gently pressed his earpiece, where his eager master was waiting for an update.

"I am in eye-sight of the building. Getting a closer look now," Robin said almost robotically. Although he couldn't see it, Slade smirked under his mask.

"Good. Proceed as planned." Slade then leaned back in his chair, overlooking the many cameras he had probed around the building. As he watched the footage, he was delighted to see his apprentice sticking to the shadows like it was where he belonged. If someone somehow found these tapes, it would take a very trained eye to see Robin out of the darkness surrounding him as he leapt from building to building.

Finally, Robin reached the top of the building, which was bare other than a few ventilation systems and the giant, illuminated letters. Stalking across the pavement, he reached one of the vents and tore the cover off, slipping inside without a thought.

Landing at the bottom without so much as a 'thump', he continued through the twisting corners and corridors.

During this time where Robin was simply crawling along, he finally had time to slow down and think about what his life had become.

A little less than a month ago, he was laughing and joking with his friends at the tower, just acting his age for once. The crime rate was steadily decreasing because of his team, and they were making a name for themselves. Everything was going his way.

Then Slade came into the picture. Once he made his entrance into the crime world, Robins world flipped upside down. Along with his team.

They fought some of their best and worst battles with the masked mercenary, but never did he think they would actually lose everything. And in almost a second, too. All because Robin abandoned his team to fight Cinderblock.

If he just stuck with his friends, they might still be alive. Or, at the very least, he would have perished with them instead of having to live in his now hellish world.

That was, Robin decided, his most fatal mistake of his career. Not even the injury that got him 'fired' could compare to his failure now. The sudden thought of Batman being disappointed briefly flew through his head, and it almost made him physically stop.

Why did he care if Batman was disappointed by him? He was the one who decided he didn't need a partner, wasn't he? Batman, no, Bruce had the audacity to take away the one thing that gave his life meaning. With barely any visible sympathy, too.

If anything, he shouldn't be blaming himself for what happened, he should be blaming the person who took the time to train him, then threw him out like a piece of trash. For a minor injury on a mission, as well.

What right did Batman have to strip him of his title? He may have been the boys caretaker, but Robin was something that belonged to him. His mother had given him that name. It was basically his birthright. Batman thought that he could just take that away? Not without a fight, he won't.

In that one moment, the whole mission changed from something that had no benefit for him to a chance to prove himself.

Maybe if the great Batman saw what he had become, he would have thought twice about throwing him out. After all, if you mess with the bird, you get the talons.

Now filled with rage for his previous mentor, he climbed up a shaft until he got to a parallel platform to his right. Crawling just a few feet across, he came to the panel that dropped down into an office room below.

Carefully removing the top, Robin slid out of the confined space and reveled at the fact he was finally able to move. The office was dark around him, making perfect cover for anyone who happened to saunter past. There were also plenty of spaces to hide if the shadows were no longer an option, such as the desks or cubicals. He could now see why Slade picked this precise spot to trigger the alarm. There would be plenty of cover to wait out until Slade gave the 'OK'.

Slinking quietly across the room he went to the alarm system that was in every hallway. Reaching his gloved hand into the corridor, he gently pressed the exact spot that would give off a barely noticeable alarm. But it would still make enough commotion for someone to come check it out.

Walking back across the room Robin found himself a shadowy crevice that would be hidden well in the darkness as well as in the light. Crouching down he radioed to Slade his position, and he cringed when he could almost hear the smirk playing on the mercenaries lips.

"Hold your position. The pawns still need to be moved by the opponent."

The cryptic words sent chills down Robins spine, but he shrugged it off and looked toward the one doorway leading into the room.

Whatever pawns Slade was talking about, they better move fast, because Robin was getting nervous being in the large business building. The feeling of being an intruder made itself present for a brief moment, but was replaced with anger when the ebony remembered who got him in this position.

Finally, soft footsteps were heard approaching the room, walking at a slightly faster pace than normal. 'must be the pawn Slade was talking about', Robin thought to himself.

A beam of light was then visible through the doorway, wavering in motion with the persons steps. Once they got to the opening, Robin could see the brief outline of a women behind the light of the torch. Moving slowly and haphazardly inside the room, she surveyed the room with her beam of light.

The boy slightly held his breath as the light wavered on his hiding place, but released it as it passed over without the supposed guard noticing.

Once she swept over the entire room more than three times, she sighed and went to grab a radio positioned on her shoulder.

"Kacie here. The alarm must have been some type of malfunction, nothin's up here." Kacie said into her radio with a slight southern accent, and waited a few seconds before receiving a reply.

"Mark here. I read you. Head back to your station and we'll have someone else check it out as well."

"What, just cause' I'm the only girl on the force means my word might be false?" Kacie hotly replied back, Robin almost being able to make out the rage on her face.

A long sigh was heard from the other end.

"No, we just want to be extra sure no ones up there. We would all lose out jobs if something happened with us on watch."

Grumbling, Kacie reluctantly walked back the way she came, and soon enough another guard was soon there again, doing the same sweep she did, and getting the same result. He radioed in to Mark, and was on his way back to his station.

His footsteps retreated down the hall, and as soon as they were nothing more than a barely audible 'tap', Slade's voiced rang through his communicator.

"Good. Now, get back up to the roof, and make sure you are spotted by one camera. Not fully, but enough for them to know someone is in the building."

Robin was about to refute, say that his plan still didn't make any sense, but thought better of it. Inching his way out of his hiding place, he made his way to the door frame. He peered through the dimly lit hallway, and was relieved to find it as empty as the rest of this floor.

The ebony stepped out and caught the slight glint of a camera in the corner of his eye. Sticking to the shadows, he slyly moved passed it, making sure whoever was on the other side of the lens would see movement, but no human figure to accompany it.

And it seemed to have worked, as not seven seconds after he passed the camera did alarms start blaring. Now illuminated by the pulsing red light, he ran to the nearest vent and ripped the cover off. Robin crawled inside without hesitation and started to make his way to the roof.

The red light and siren soon faded, and Robin kept going through the labyrinth of ventalation. Finally, when he was in the darkened silence once again, he reached a vent that went straight up to the roof.

Robin make quick work of crawling his way upward in the confined space, and removed the grate in front of him once he got to the top.

"Stay in your position. Make sure you are concealed, and wait for your company to arrive," Slade said harshly once Robin was standing on concrete.

Confused at the comand, but not willing to disobey, the ebony ran to a well shadowed part of the roof and waited for his 'company'.

What Slade had meant by that Robin did not know. But whatever it was, he could bet it would not be very good for him. Anything the man said did not bode well for the bird, after all.

But what company, he wondered, could the mercenary be referring to? A hero? A side-kick? The police? He hoped that it was not a hero, as they would recognize him almost immediately and he was not sure if he could take them down. Robin could take a sidekick, but he would still be saddened to be fighting people who he used to consider friends. The police, however, he would have almost no problem with.

Most of them were corrupt, anyway. Robin would possibly be doing a justice if Slade wanted him to wait for the police to arrive.

But, knowing how crafty and intelligent the man was, Robin doubted that he was supposed to wait for the police. That left him with two obvious options. The two that he hoped would not be true.

The reasons Slade would want him to fight his former friends and allies were plentiful. To possibly bring Robin further from the light, show off his new apprentice, or just to mock the Justice League with his success were the more prominent ones that popped up in the boys mind.

Whatever it was, Robin pushed it out of his mind as he knew his 'company' would be arriving fairly quickly. Sure enough, he was right.

Out of the corner of his eye, the ebony saw a slight shift of the shadows. Some might have simply dismissed it as simply a mind trick cause by paranoia. Robin knew better. His keen eyesight could spot the figure effortlessly, and his training told him that it was not just his imagination.

Springing into action, he rolled out of the shadows. He pulled out the bow staff he was equipped with and quickly eased into a defensive stance.

Robin slowly scoured the land in front of him, searching for any signs of the figure moving.

A slight shift on his left.

In the blink of an eye, the boy went from defensive to offensive, lunging for the spot he last saw the movement. He was met with empty air as he swung towards the figure, but managed to keep it moving so it couldn't disappear again.

Swiping at the figure once again to keep it moving, he managed to get a slight look at its head shape. Robin faltered when he reconized the head shape.

This pause gave the shadow time to melt back into the darkness, and Robin was left trying to pinpoint its location once more. That feeling of shock quickly disintegrated as his years of pushing out emotion kicked in. In an instant, he was back to an emotionless expression.

The fact that there were two pointed, horn-like objects on its head still slightly unnerved him, though. After all, he wouldn't come all the way to Jump just to see if he was alive, right?

Robin hoped beyond hope that he was wrong.

Even after all the rage he felt towards his previous mentor only minutes ago, Robin wasn't sure if he could take him in combat. Both because of how much training he had and the emotional impact it might have on both of them.

If it did turn out to be him, however, Robin was ready to give his all to win. That is, if it came down to a fight.

Even if that meant possibly breaking any ties he once had to the hero community.

Then, finally after what felt like hours of waiting to the boy, the figure made itself completely visible.

Robin visibly stiffened when the black suit became visible in the moonlight. And, even though it may have been half-passed midnight, he could recognize that dark silhouette anywhere. Especially with his iconic black, sharp tipped cape flowing behind him in the freezing wind.

It was the look on Batman's face, however, that made him lower his weapon ever so slightly.

Blank. There was absolutely no emotion shown through his gruff facade. All emotion Robin could make out was the thin line of his ever-present frown. Not even the skin tight cowl revealed any sign of shock, anger, or disappointment.

Robin honestly didn't really know what to expect from his former mentor. He was the god damn Batman. Was he really expecting Bruce to show any indication that he cared about him? Robin almost slapped himself for getting his hopes up.

Of course he never really cared. This encounter only proved his theory. Even when his adopted son and protégé turned to crime, the very thing he taught Robin to fight, Batman didn't even have the decency to act like he cared.

That bastard.

"You did this," Robin suddenly said, and he was almost suprised at the tone he said it in. His voice was full of anger and malice. All directed at the man who he once wanted to become.

But, alas, things can change drastically.

Batman stared at Robin, not speaking a word. He kept up the emotionless barrier, but felt it increasingly difficult as the seconds ticked by.

More than anything, he wanted to march up to his son and envelop him in his arms. To say he was sorry for everything he ever did wrong. Apologize for not being the father he was supposed to be.

"You did this!" the ebony snapped, a snarl now gracing his features. He gripped his staff tighter, and he felt as though if the man in front of him made any move towards him, he might attack.

"Robin, you need to relax. Think about what you're doing right now. Just let me speak," Batman said, but his plea was met with deaf ears.

Robin subconsciously straightened his back in an attempt to be taller. More intimidating. Even if he barely met the man's shoulders.

"No. You don't have any right to speak with me after all that you put me through," the boy said in finality, bringing up his staff in a defensive position once again.

"Do you realize what you are getting into?"

Robin opened his mouth to interrupt, but Batman continued before he could, only with more conviction that before.

"I know that color scheme and uniform. Do you know what Deathstroke could have in store for you if you stay with him? He will torture you."

At this, Robin glared so fiercely at Batman that the man felt compelled to take a step back.

"And you were any better!?" he screamed at Batman, who just narrowed his eyes in confusion.

Then, without warning, Robin lunged at Batman. He managed to catch the man off guard, and landed a solid hit with his bowstaff on Batman's chin. The Bat recoiled back, but as Robin was preparing to attack once more, he shifted into a more defensive stance.

This time when the ebony struck out, now aiming to knock him off his feet, the Dark Knight dodged. Then once in position, his instincts kicked in and he lashed out with one of his legs, landing a harsh kick that sent Robin flying back. Instead of tumbling to the ground though, he twisted mid-air and did a quick handspring off the ground.

Both now faced each other in fighting stances, one offensive and the other defensive. They shot fierce glares at each other but neither one backed down.

Robin then launched out in another attack, surprising Batman by pulling apart his staff at the last second to form two Ecrisma sticks. The Bat, who had been preparing for a long range attack, quickly changed positions to block the fierce blow aimed at his chest.

As soon as he did, though, Robin kicked him in the side he left unprotected in his haste to block the blow. Grunting, he managed to drive Robin back once more with a series of punches. The boy effortlessly backflipped to avoid all of them, and landed a good space away from Batman.

"I don't want to fight you," the man exclaimed, but the glare he got in return told him that Robin had other plans.

"You should have thought about that before coming here."

As soon as he finished his last word Robin attacked once again, this time with exploding projectiles, courtesy of Slade. Batman dodged every one thrown at him, but made no effort to counter the attacks with his own. He did just learn that Robin was alive, after all. Bruce wasn't going to ruin any bond that might still be left by fighting when it wasn't necessary.

Even if his protégé seemed hellbent on taking him down. That fact alone sent a pang of some emotion that he couldn't quite put his finger on through his whole body. Maybe it was guilt? Or even anger. Especially at the thought of what Slade Wilson could have done to his little bird.

That was the question, wasn't it? What made Robin flip to the path of darkness? Batman trained him to make sure this kind of situation would be almost impossible. And, even if Bruce's precautions went ignored, never in his wildest dreams (more like nightmares) did he think Dicks heart of gold would turn to ice. The boy was more stubborn than anyone he had ever met, especially with his beliefs.

Other than himself, of course.

So what made Robin finally snap?

Then, in a flash of realization, he knew what had happened to him to make him betray what he believed since birth. Even though it was the grim truth, and the only one Batman could come up with, he still didn't want to believe that Robin had to endure that.

Apparently, Slade didn't believe that Dick watching his parents die was enough for the boy. That madman thought that his little bird deserved to watch his friends pass, as well.

All Batman wanted to do was beat that sick mercenary into a bloody pulp.

After what felt like an eternity, Robin ran out of projectiles, and with a snarl, he pulled out his bow staff once again.

"Robin. Stand down, I don't want to hurt you." Batman pleaded, but alas, the boy refused to listen.

"That just means I'll have an even easier time taking you down!" he exclaimed, launching into yet another attack on the Dark Knight.

At this point, however, Batman was done trying to reason with his previous protégé. This time, he would be taking the offensive side, and make sure that Robin wouldn't be able to hurt himself or anyone else anymore.

As Robin aimed a powerful kick towards the Bats head, he stepped to the side and gripped his ankle in a tight fist. The boy was shocked, and the Dark Knight took advantage of this and threw Robin across the roof. It didn't look like he would recover at first, which made Batman worried, but at the last minute he twisted in the air and landed gracefully on his feet.

Before Robin had a chance to think, Batman was ontop of him again, this time aiming to slam a fist into his chest. He managed one punch before Robin came to his senses and retaliated, blocking blows with his forearms.

After about five punches Batman switched tactics. As he threw another punch, this time aimed at the boys head, he swept his legs in an attempt to knock the boy off his feet.

It worked, but Robin caught him off guard as when he fell he landed on his hands, and with all his might, he launched off the concrete and slammed his metal-tipped boots into the bats chin. He stumbled back in shock from the blow, giving Robin the advantage for a moment.

Taking his chance, the ebony propelling himself towards Batman. His bowstaff once again emerged, and made itself known as it slammed into the man's side. He grunted in pain from the force, but recovered quickly and regained his bearings.

Just as Batman was about to make his move, the boy attacked again, this time with much more ferocity. A straggled, animalistic noise rose from the boys throat as he continued to rain down on the poor man. Said man could only block and retreat slightly as his former protégé attacked him with rage he had never before seen in anyone.

Besides himself.

Before the Bat knew it he was at the edge of the roof, and Robin was still mercilessly giving blows. Batman was running out of ideas as he peered over the skyscraper in his peripheral vision.

So, on instinct, he lashed out at Robin, who was caught suprised when Batman started to ruthlessly fight back. He pushed the boys staff away from his body, sending him a slight ways back onto the roof. Then, with one final push, he used the edge of the roof as a launch pad and catapulted towards Robin, who was still slightly recovering.

Faster than he could comprehend Batman sent a powerful fist towards the ebony's face. And without having time to react, the blow landed and it sent him reeling back, landing on his back on the gritty concrete. His staff landed beside him, but he made no move towards it as he was still trying to realize what happened.

Batman, however, stood as still at stone. He uncurled his fist at he looked at the boy still recovering. The Bat couldn't contain himself as a wave of guilt washed over him in new power, and he stumbled slightly towards Robin, wanting to help the boy. He had never meant to throw a punch that hard. There were only two times he put so much force into a punch, and the fact that he did it to someone he loved crushed him from the inside out.

The two other times he used a blow that powerful was when he was fighting Bane and Superman. One, who was knocked up on venom and had superhuman abilities, and the other was a Kyrptonian.

Those situations merited that kind of power. But this was his protégé; his son.

And he had just pushed him as hard as he would hit the Man of Steel.

Shockwaves rippled through him once more when the boy finally started to recover. His mask had been flung off of his face to reveal what Batman expected to be the same joyous, oceanic blue eyes that he had lived with for almost ten years. But what he saw instead glued him to the floor, unable to recognize who he was looking at.

There was no life visible in those dull, almost grey eyes. They were like black holes, seemingly empty and endless. As Robin glared at the Bat fiercely, the man could see no drive in those eyes. No sense of purpose or hope. No dreams. Only fear, desperation, and pure, unbrittled rage. It unsettled the Bat to the core of his being to see those once lively eyes so dull and unfocused.

"What did he do to you..." Batman whispered horrifically, yet angrily, as he continued to gaze into his eyes.

As Robin continued to glare at the man in front of him, he made no move for his mask, which lay only a few feet away. He instead moved to his staff, a sneer on his face as he grasped the handle and stood up straight.

"Slade merely pushed me off the edge. You were the one who made me walk towards the cliff."

"Robin, please, just listen to me. This isn't you. Not the real you. You need to see that Deathstroke is manipulating you, and to him you're nothing more than a tool. " Batman pleaded. Robin's glare merely intensified.

"You think I don't know that!? He killed my only friends, and just because he wanted me as his little puppet!" The ebony spat. But a sudden sadness came to his eyes as his glare slowly dissipated. "That's what my life is going to be, isn't it? Just an endless cycle of death and being used like a little marionette."

Batman looked at him sadly, taking a hesitant step forward. In response, Robin took one step back, but made no move to indicate he would be doing anything.

"You're wrong. You have a life, and friends. What about Wally and Roy? You can be happy." Batman paused, waiting to see any sort of reaction from Robin, but seeing none, continued. "But first you need to break out of whatever hold Slade has on you. Whatever he is threatening or doing to you, we can prevent it. Me, you're friends and the Justice League want you to come home, Dick."

Batman stepped forward once again, but Robin stayed where he was. Proceeding forward, the man stopped just an arms berth away from the boy, who's face was shadowed by his shaggy hair.

He reached out a single hand, and with one more pleading look, he spoke.

"Come home, where you belong. You can be safe."

Robin said nothing, and didn't move an inch as he continued to stare at the ground, no emotions visible on his concealed face.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity to both of the figures, Robin's grip on his bowstaff loosened. Another second later it clattered to the ground. A single tear rolled down the ebony's cheek, but his eyes were still shadowed by his pitch hair.

Immediately after seeing the tear and watching his staff fall to the ground, Batman rushed in and enveloped the boy in a tight embrace.

Robin did not return the gesture. He stood as straight as a pole, and his whole body was ridged as his former mentor embraced him in the warm gesture.

As the two were glued together, Batman could feel the boy shift slightly. But instead of the expected arms he thought would be around his shoulders, he simply felt a warm sensation grow on his back that seemed to spread as the moment lasted longer.

Then, as the Bat was about to pull away, the warm, almost fuzzy feeling turned into one of sharp and burning pain that made his vision turn white hot. He groaned, and made a quick intake of breath as whatever was causing the pain seemed to dig deeper, almost touching his spinal cord.

With wide eyes, he stared at Robin horrified as he stumbled backwards. The white hot pain only grew as the man could feel the steel slowly sliding out of his flesh, making more incisions as it did so.

With a clatter, the large, blood coated hunting knife fell to the ground. The Bat was not far behind. From how close the blade was to his spine, it slightly paralyzed him, and blood was flowing out of the wound faster than it should have been.

Batman groaned as he fell onto his stomach, his fists clenching in pain, anger, and sorrow. He clenched his teeth together so tight that his jaw soon ached, but the sizzling pain was too much.

His vision was turning a misty black and white, the rooftop visible to him as he looked on with an almost blank and empty stare. He couldn't hear the footsteps walking over to the staff lying on the ground, and he barely noticed as steel tipped boots were suddenly in his view.

A small spot of cold metal was placed under his chin, and the boy that stood above him raised it so the Bat could look at him. Blank, cold eyes filled with sorrow met those of pure agony and depression.

"I never wanted anything like that to happen. I'm sorry, but I didn't know what else to do." Robin said in almost a whisper. Batman's breathing became laborious as the ebony continued. "I won't deny that I've made some bad choices. But I didn't have any choice in the matter most of the time. I couldn't have stopped my parents deaths, I've accepted that now. But my team, my friends, I could have easily prevented." The boy then went into a crouch, his eyes now holding a shred of sadness as he looked at the Bat in the ground.

"R-robin...you n-need to st-stop..." He managed to choke out through the blood pooling in his mouth. But Robin paid almost no attention to him as he continued.

"You're right. This isn't who I am. But how can I be who I am when I never really knew who that was? I've been living two lives almost all of my life, and I'm not sure which one is really the one I want to live. But I can assure you one thing," Robin pulled out the earpiece that Slade had given him, and the mercenaries rage fueled voice could be heard spewing threats, orders and curses towards the boy. "I'm never being anyone's puppet again." With this he crushed the communication device between his fingers.

Eerily calm, the boy reached down to the Bats utility belt and pressed a button, which continued to flash yellow repeatedly. Bruce managed a grunt as he used his remaining strength to look at Robin once more. The boy had a peacefulness to him that he hadn't seen in ages, and it broke his heart even more to realize it was because he was giving up.

"Help will come for you soon. All I have left to say to you is simple. Don't come looking for me. If you do, you'll regret it." Robin spat, although his voice also held sadness.

The boy started to walk away, leaving a bloody hunting knife and a dying Batman behind in the coldness of the night. He pulled out his grappling hook and prepared to fire it onto a different roof. But he paused, and glanced over his shoulder in sorrow. Before he flew off of the roof and into the darkness into which he awaited, he whispered simple words that, if heard, would mend Bruce's already broken and crumbling heart.

"I can't believe it, but I can't find it in me to hate you any longer." He took a deep breath, before uttering the words that he had been afraid to say for almost two years, even more so after the past three weeks.

"I love you, god damnit." 

**_"Darkness cannot drive out darkness;_**

 ** _only light can do that._**

 ** _Hate cannot drive out hate;_**

 ** _only love can do that."_**

 ** _~Martin Luther King, Jr._**

 **Geez, I've gone mad. In more than one way. (SORRY-NOT-SORRY FOR ALL THE FEELS)**


	4. Too Little, Too Late IV

**_"It is not flesh and blood,_**

 ** _But the heart which makes us fathers and sons."_**

 ** _Johann Friedrich Von Schiller_**

 **~Two Years Later~**

Cowering in the corner of the alley, the blonde woman sobbed uncontrollably as the mobsters closed in. Her mascara smeared against her tear stained cheeks as she tried furiously to rub the tears away. It was in vain, however, as a new wave smashed into her when one of the men before her smiled wickedly, pulling out a pistol.

She pleaded for her life, giving them her purse and all of the valuables on her person. All the mobsters did was laugh and continue to close the space around the terrified young woman.

By this point, the woman could only hope that some miracle would appear and scold herself for her idiotic decision to walk home from the diner. Especially at night, in the most crime ridden city the world had ever seen.

Everything had been set up as a recipe for disaster.

The gangster holding the gun clicked the safety off, and the woman chocked back a miserable sob as the other three men laughed at her pitiful state. The supposed leader let his hand rest on the trigger, enjoying the moment of the woman's agony with a twisted smirk.

Then, just as he was about to pull the trigger, a flying projectile hit his hand, effectively knocking the gun away. The gangsters stopped laughing in shock, and warily looked around to see where it came from. The woman could only hold her breath as her death had been postponed for a short moment.

"Guys..." one of the men trailed off, pointing at the alley wall as his face paled. They all turned, and the woman could only laugh in relief as the gangsters all paled.

Embedded into the brick wall was a symbol civilians, heroes, and villains alike all knew too well. The men gulped as they slowly backed away from the terrified woman. They didn't get far, however, as a small shape landed behind them with a barely audible thud.

The thugs whipped around, fearing for their lives, but were puzzled by the sight they saw.

Expecting the infamous Batman, they were shocked to find the small, slim figure of a child, that couldn't be older than thirteen, crouched in front of them.

He was dressed in an almost all red uniform, with black gloves, boots, and a bright, canary yellow utility belt. His cape was black on the outside and the same canary yellow as his utiltiy belt on the inside. Adorning his face was a narrowed domino mask that complemented the scowl on his features, with his raven black hair ruffled slightly. Supposedly from jumping off of the roof.

After realizing that who faced them was just a kid, and not the Dark Knight, the mobsters returned to their smug, confident attitude.

"Yo, kid, don't try an' play hero. It'll just gonna getcha' hurt. Run home to mommy and daddy, now." the one who previously held the gun announced, stepping closer to the boy, who in turn stood up and took a couple paces back himself.

But not because he was afraid. He knew that a couple of lowlife's like these couldn't beat him. No, he just wanted distance so his attack would be more affective.

With a smirk, he dropped into an offensive fighting stance.

"Sorry to go against your wishes, but I can't go home with that woman still in danger."

The men just laughed at this. The blonde, who was still huddled in the corner, gave the child a quick look that screamed 'are-you-flipping-crazy!?'. Once the four men were then reduced to chuckles, before the one who held the gun-the leader-gave him a dark look.

"Well boys, looks like we hav'a do-gooder here. What do ya' say we knock him down a few notches?"

The leader made a move to attack, but the boy was quick to advance. Before the man could even comprehend, a fist was heading for his jaw, making impact. The leader stumbled back, holding his jaw and his eyes scrunched up in pain. Shortly after, he felt his legs getting kicked out from under him. His world faded to black as he crashed to the ground, the child figure standing over him.

The kid glanced down at the unconcious gangster before bringing his attention to the three others.

They looked on in shock, unable to do anything as they stared at the boy who had just taken down the most experienced and well built member of their small mob. With a gulp, the smallest one of the group snapped out of his stupor and looked hastily between his compatrates and the child.

And with one resolute nod, seemingly to himself, he ran to a branching off alley to escape. This caused the others to awakened from their hypnotized state as well, and they hurriedly followed the other man out of the alley, away from the child.

With a smirk of satisfaction, the boy quickly restrained the leader and called the police, before returning his attention to the terrified woman in the corner. He walked up hesitantly, and once close enough, put a gentle hand on her upper arm. She flinched, but didn't shake him off as she looked on with a hopeful expression.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, and after a moment, she nodded furiously.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" she whispered in a quiet, shaky voice. The boy just gave her a small smile.

"Just part of my job. Now, I trust you'll get home safely?" he asked, and after another flurry of nods, he started to lead the woman out of the alley. She was hysterically sobbing while muttering 'thank you's', and the boy looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.

He briefly wondered if the woman was falling into insanity.

Once at the edge of the alleyway that opened up to the sidewalk, the boy let go and turned around. But before he could make his way back to the rooftops, and not to mention his mentor, a hand grasped his wrist.

"Wait! I don't know your name..." the woman trailed. The boy looked back at her, and gave her a heart-warming smile.

"Name's Robin. And spread the word that I'm back in business, will you?" Robin asked, and with slightly widened eyes, she nodded slowly, releasing her grip on his wrist.

With one final wave the boy made his way back into the darkness. Once far enough away, Robin grappled onto the rooftops, running along as he went to rendezvous with Batman to hang up his cape for the night.

"Did you have fun on patrol, Master Tim?" Alfred asked as he looked at the bouncing boy walking to his room. He looked at the Englishman with a huge, Cheshire grin.

"You bet! Those mobsters didn't even see me coming!" he exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.

The old Butler chuckled at his childish behavior as he went back to finishing the kitchen polish.

"Excellent. Have a good night, Master Tim."

"You too, Alfred!"

Tim disappeared down the hallway, a few seconds passing before the slam of a door reverberated throughout the Manor. Alfred rolled his eyes, making a mental note to scold Tim on that in the morning during breakfast. But for now, he had different matters to attend to.

Like to finish polishing the godforsaken counter.

After a few more minutes of the old man simply scrubbing the same spot on the counter, he backed away and gave a small smile at his work. He quickly put away the cleaning supplies and took a glance at the time.

Immediately afterwords, his eyebrows rose in suprise.

The clock showed that it was one twenty-three AM. And yet, Batman and Robin had returned, when their usual patrol lasted until five in the morning.

This raised more than a few flags in the Englishman's mind.

With an aura of curiosity and slight worry, the elder made his way to the old grandfather clock that secretly led to the Batcave, located under Wayne Manor. He slightly scowled at just the thought.

He had brought the point up to Bruce that if an enemy found the Batcave, he would also find out the secret identity of both Batman and Robin. But Bruce, being the stubborn man he was, refused to relocate his base of operations, even after a harsh lecture from the old butler.

Honestly, the man couldn't get anywhere with that overgrown child in a bat costume.

But none the less, he still viewed the musty, dark and damp cave as an extension of the Manor itself. Therefore, he had the duty to clean and take care of everything that resided there. Including its inhabitants.

The old man stepped into the elevator, and slowly made his descent down into the lair of Batman. A chill crept up Alfred's body, but that was to be expected when traveling deep underground. And, honestly, the Englishman didn't mind the cold of the cave. He rather enjoyed it.

With a small 'ding', the elevator doors opened to revealed the massive expanse of the Batcave.

The cave was dark and filled with shadows, as per usual, but the bright glow of the Batcomputer illuminated most of the landing. Striding up, Alfred saw Bruce in his Batman costume, sitting at the computer chair with his cowl off, his chin resting in his hand as he looked with an unwavering gaze at the screen.

To the unknowing eye, it would look like the man was just looking at an interesting article or reading stories off of a newspaper. But with Alfreds trained eyes, he could tell exactly how the normally emotionless man was feeling.

The old man could tell that Bruce was troubled, even on the verge of annoyed. His crystal blue eyes were slightly narrowed, his brows furrowed together in concentration. The man's jaw was tight and moved slightly from time to time, in order to release some tension.

All of this behavior gave the butler a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Is something the matter, Master Bruce?" he inquired, hoping the man would answer him instead of brushing him off, as he seems fond of doing so.

All was quiet for moment. Then Bruce sighed, closing his eyes, only for them to reopen to focus on his father-figure.

"It's Bludhaven, Alfred." he stated simply. The Englishman raised a questioning brow.

"What about Bludhaven, sir?" there was a longer pause this time before the man finally answered, closing his eyes and massaging his temples.

"There's supposedly a new vigilante claiming the city as his own. He's saved a few people from robberies, and even an attempt at murder. Witnesses say they couldn't see him very clearly through the shadows, but all of them described the figure of a young, well-built man wearing mostly black and some kind of mask. And from what's being observed, he's obviously been trained by someone, and is highly skilled."

"And you believe he could become a threat." Alfred stated, slightly exasperated by Bruce's paranoid behavior. The man sighed and slumped back into his chair.

"I have to take precautions, you know that, Alfred. He could be potentially dangerous, and if anything happens to you or...or to Tim..." he trailed, leaving his statement unfinished.

The old man looked sympathetically at the now grieving man before him.

After the mission to help the original Robin went horribly wrong, Batman hadn't heard one thing about him, and Bruce Wayne hadn't heard anything on Dick Grayson, either. Finally, after a whole year of searching, the Dark Knight had to accept that Robin was gone, and possibly dead. So, with a heart the weight of lead, Batman took on a new protégé, still in the persona of Robin. But behind the mask was a street orphan named Jason Todd.

Then, in a terrible turn of events, Jason was horrifically murdered by the Joker.

Yet another son had been stripped away from him.

His death hit the Bat hard, and Alfred vividly remembered physically pulled Bruce out of the Batcave to eat a full meal.

And now, after it seemed the burdened man had moved on once again, Tim came into his life. This eventually led to the arrival of the third Robin, much to Batman's protest. But, although Bruce still seemed adamant about keeping Tim off of the field, Alfred could sense the change of demeanour.

Batman seemed to need Robin just as much as Robin needed Batman.

In the times that a Robin wasn't at the Caped Crusaders side, he was darker, more brutal and cold to his opponents. But, when there was a Robin, his demeanour changed completely. The Bat seemed calm, almost proud and he fought side by side with his partner, and was nowhere near as ruthless as he was alone.

There was also a change in Bruce, as well. When a child occupied the Manor, everything seemed brighter, including Bruce himself. He even cracked an occasional smile, much to the delight of the old butler.

Alfred also believed that Bruce subconsciously knew this as well. He was just too stubborn and hard-headed to admit it.

After already having two children lost on his hands, he would emotionally break if anything happened to Tim. That loss would bare an unliftable load onto Bruce's heart, one which Alfred didn't think he could bring him out of. Even if another child miraculously came into his life.

"I am sure this man has good intentions, Master Bruce." Alfred finally said, shaking out of his sympathetic stupor.

"There isn't anyway we can know that right now. Which is why I'm going to investigate." the man replied, slightly shocking the old man.

"You are going to investigate this matter in Bludhaven? I thought other cities were not usually Batman's problem?" Alfred asked, to which Bruce only sighed in reply. He stood up from the computer chair and pulled his cowl over his head, hiding behind the mask once again.

"Bludhaven is the sister city to Gotham. Who knows if, or when, this man might decide to move on. Into my territory."

Nothing more was said as the old butler solemnly watched Batman jump into the Batwing, only looking back one last time to give a slight nod to Alfred. The man nodded in response.

Batman started up the engine of the jet, and after a few seconds, began to hover in the air before shooting out the entrance of the Batcave.

Alfred worriedly sighed as the Batwing disappeared into the night, speedily making progress to Gotham's sister city. Albeit what Bruce did as Batman at night, all of the dangerous encounters, the old man couldn't help the worry and slight fear that prickled at his insides.

This seemed too much like the incident that happened two years ago for Alfred not to be worried.

And with how that situation turned out, all he could do was pray nothing like that happened again.


	5. Too Little, Too Late Epilogue

Batman crouched on top of the abandoned warehouse, carefully observing the scene below him. The building was fairly large, and it was quite a ways to the ground, yet he could still hear every word the dealers were saying.

"You got my money?" the short, burly man announced, the ten people behind him raising their guns in a threatening manner.

"Yep, you have my goods?" a tall, lanky man replied, an almost smug smirk on his face as he held up a small briefcase. The dealer gave a slimy grin in response.

"When don't I, Ron?" he questioned in good humor, earning a small chuckle from 'Ron'.

"Very true," Ron commented, still happy to see his old aquantince. But his tone then turned serious. "But we better hurry this up, caught wind of a possible Bat arriving in 'Haven. Not concrete knowledge, but don't want to take that chance."

At the mention of Batman, the burly man seemed surprised, while the silent observer only scowled lightly.

He had tried to make his entry into the city as discreet as possible. To not disturb the local crime, of course, as he had learned from experience the sudden appearance of a hero in a different city can complicate the natural order of crime.

But, obviously, his efforts were in vain (most likely because of his massive, Bat-themed jet), as someone had seen him enter the city. Which also meant that he may have blown a possible chance of getting information on the new vigilante. If he had heard of the Dark Knight presence in Bludhaven, he may decide to stick to the shadows for the night to avoid any confrontation.

"The Bat? In Bludhaven? Please, he's way too protective of Gotham, there's no way he would come here." he paused, taking a nervous look around as if he knew someone was there, watching the transaction. "All we have to worry about is that new one who's calling this place his. What's his name again?"

Ron shot his compliance a incredulous look. "Really? You actually believed all that bull in the news? It's probably just the media trying to scare people like us. And they've never even given him a name yet, anyway."

Batman gave a slight huff of irritation. He was getting his hopes up that, just possibly, the criminals might have more knowledge than the public. They were the ones who should be concerned, after all. Obviously, that wasn't the case.

"Whatever, just give me my money, I'll give you the goods, and we'll get out of here." Danny announced, two of his other ten men bringing forward a large bag of white powder. Ron brought up the briefcase once more, and both men smirked maliciously as they exchanged goods and turned away.

At first, it looked as if they were about to go their separate ways. Danny rounded up all of his men, and Ron continued the other way, seemingly alone. Batman tensed, ready to intervene. He couldn't just let these two get away with a drug deal, quite literally, under his nose.

Then, just as a slight breeze blew past, all the men froze, much to the Dark Knight confusion.

They traded, had a nice chat, and now they were free to do what they pleased, right? What made them hesitate? What didn't he see?

Unbeknownst to him, carried in the breeze was a barely audible whisper of a voice, only heard by the people on ground level. What it said made all of them stopped in their tracks, horrified by the spine chilling whisper.

Batman raised a quizzical eyebrow as he observed the men, now frantically scanning their surroundings. The ten men with weapons raised them once more, ready to shoot anything and everything. Ron clutched his bag of drugs to his chest, while Danny did something much similar to the briefcase fill of money.

Then, a deep chuckle penetrated the air, instantly jolting Batman out of his confusion. The men became even more fidgity and frightened, Ron almost to the point of shaking.

The Dark Knight, however, couldn't be more focused and alert. He scanned the area trying to pinpoint exactly where the voice came from, coming up with nothing.

Surrounding the area were a multitude of abandoned and withering buildings, excellent for going unnoticed. That is where he checked first, but couldn't see any movement or unnatural shadows through the cracks, broken windows, and gaping holes.

The most frustrating part was other than the buildings, there were minimal places to possible conceal yourself. There were some crates and dumpsters, but from his point of view, anyone hiding there should have been clearly visible. Even if they were highly trained.

"B-Batman?" Ron stuttered, still clutching on the bag of drugs like a lifeline. There was a tense pause where everything was silent, before there was a very irritated and somewhat puzzled sigh.

"What the hell? When have you ever heard Batman laugh?" a more upbeat, younger voice asked incredulously, but still with slight humor. Time skipped a beat and no one replied, and after a moment, a figure seemed to evaporate from the shadows.

The sight made Batman suck in a silent breath.

Standing behind the men armed with guns was a tall, well built man. But he still seemed lean, as if he hadn't toned his body to the extreme. From his vantage point, Batman could see that the articles were correct to state he looked to be a young man. In fact, he didn't look any older than twenty-two. He wore a tight, black spandex uniform with armour plates, a blue bird with outstretched wings covering his chest, along with several blue accents running along the entirety of his suit. There were Kevlar plates along the arms, chest, and legs, but not to the point where it would restrict any movement. He bore a completely black utility belt along his waist, with two Ecrisma sticks strapped across his back.

In all honesty, it looked like typical hero or villain ware, but what caught Batman off-guard were his visible facial features.

He had very dark, midnight black locks that seemed untamed yet controlled at the same time. His complexion had a slightly sun-kissed look, but it didn't look artificial, it seemed as though that was just his natural skin color. He had a very chiseled chin, and Batman had no doubt that without the domino mask covering his eyes, he would be a man ladies would fawn over.

But it was the slightest hint of a smirk on his face that really caught his eye. It seemed so familiar, but he couldn't place where he had seen this man before.

Finally, all the armed men noticed his presence, and they all turned to him with their guns raised as the figure only folded his arms across his chest.

"Seriously, I have never heard him have a good natured laugh, ever." the young man said seriously, but he also cocked a hip out in a slight gesture of sass.

The criminals didn't bother with an answer. Instantly after the words left his mouth, guns went ablaze in a barrage of bullets. Batman was about to intervene out of instinct, but quickly thought better of it as the man almost effortlessly dodged the bullets, hiding behind a nearby crate. This would be a great chance to possible gauge his skill level. And, if need be, threat level.

So, Batman stayed crouching on the roof and continued to watch the scene play out. And even before the masked man could even get started with his offense, the Dark Knight could easily tell this conflict would be interesting, to say the very least.

From his position he could clearly see the masked man pull several small, almost Bat-a-rang looking objects from his belt. Then, with a slight smirk, he quickly stood from behind his cover and three them in rapid succession. He hit five of the ten armed men with pin-point accuracy, which Batman immediately took a mental note of. Their guns dropped at they cried out in pain, and with less artillery fire coming towards him, the man turned offensive.

Effortlessly flipping over the crate in front of him, he ran towards the nearest henchman with lightning speed. Since the man was unfortunate enough to be hit by the vigilante's projectile, he was caught of guard and was unconscious with a swift punch to the temple.

This exact procedure happened three more times before the others finally got their bearings. All at once, the remaining nine men swarmed the masked man, discarding their now empty guns. They cornered him in a circle, and to any normal spectator, it looked like the vigilante had been outmatched, and he was fighting an impossible battle.

Good thing neither spectator nor the supposed 'victim' were normal.

With a now smug look on his face, the mask man launched an attack at two of the men at once. He aimed a punch at one, while the other he attempted to kick. The man managed to successfully kick the man to the ground, but the man he attempted to punch had anticipated the move a jumped back, reeling his own arm back for an attack. He thought fast and immediately flipped backwards, catching the man off guard and slamming his feet into his chin.

Then it was total chaos. Moans of pain, flesh hitting other flesh, and battle cries lifted to the Bats ears as he watched, mesmerized by the vigilante's almost elegant fighting style. Every move was well placed and meant to down, but thankfully, not kill. Which was a relief to Batman, as he did not want such a promising young man turn to the world of crime.

The Dark Knight's form tensed and now stood even more rigid at the edge of the roof as the fight continued below.

Since when has he started giving compliments to complete strangers? And why did he really care if he turned into a criminal, or even worse, a villain? It would just be another person he had to take care of.

But something about this man was different. He seemed to emit an aura of familiarity, but Batman couldn't place it for his life. His voice, figure, fighting style; everything about this man was familiar. But why?

Sadly, he only had a moment to ponder this as the last thug went down, leaving a cowering Danny sweating profusely as he clutched the briefcase. Ron had smartly ditched the scene as soon as the real fight started, and was long gone by the time it had ended. Leaving only one more person to put into prison.

"W-who are you?" he whispered in a quivering voice as the young man approached him. The vigilante towered over the small, burly man, and gave yet another smirk as he swiftly knocked the man unconscious.

"Names Nightwing. Of course, you can't hear me, as you are unconscious. But I wonder if the spectator in the stands heard?" Nightwing said, casually turning to face the exact spot Batman was located, his arms on his hips and a playful grin on his lips.

Batman nearly growled, despite his sudden interest in him, and jumped on the roof to land a few meters away from the other.

"You're the new vigilante?" he asked seriously, trying to get the exact details out of the man.

"Yep," he replied simply, popping the 'p' much like a child would. "But the real question is: how did I do? I know I totally kicked their asses and they never stood a chance, but how'd it look from all the way up there? Probably awesome."

Batman slightly raised an eyebrow at his childish behavior. To be honest, it was not what he had expected from the man. He wore dark, stealth clothing much like himself, and people usual associated such a thing with brooding and the typical cold-shoudler to anyone who didn't warrant their attention. To see such carefree, innocent behavior, was very puzzling.

It reminded him of Tim, weirdly enough. Also Captain Marvel, but he at least tried to act mature when in costume. Emphasis on tried.

"This isn't a game, Nightwing." he said, trying out the new name. Strangely, it felt right to say that name. The man rolled his eyes (or at least that's what it looked like through the domino mask).

"Yeah, no kidding. Of all people, I should know that." Nightwing spat back, his childish demeanor vanishing for a second, being replaced by a serious expression. But just as soon as it appeared, it vanished, and his seemingly never ending smile came back. "But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun on the job, right?"

Batman's eyes narrowed and he slowly stalked over to Nightwing. The man did not flinch as he approached like most, but instead held his carefree pose. He visibly tensed, but other than that, he seemed indifferent to the Dark Knights approach.

"There is no we. You need to stop before you get yourself or others hurt, or maybe worse. Go be with your family, and live the rest of your life in peace." Batman ground out, pointing an accusing finger at Nightwing.

The man's look simply hardened, and he jabbed his own finger into the crusader's chest.

"Listen here, Batman. I am not going to stop, and you can't stop me. And did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, you're not the only poor sap out there who doesn't have a real family? Sure, we may have people that are close to us, but we can never commit to calling them family in order to put them in less danger than they are already in." he paused, looking at the Bats now stricken face before continuing. "And I know the only reason you came out here was to access me, to see if I would be a threat to the community, League, or that replacement. But I can assure you, if I wanted to do any of those things, you would have been trying to stop me a long time ago."

By the end of the rant, Nightwing had fallen in to a deadly whisper, leaning in close to the Dark Knight.

Batman was completely awestruck by the man's confidence to speak to him like he did. It seemed as if he had no fear, and at the same time, he could tell the man was swimming in sadness and grief. Even if he didn't give a very heavy indication, Batman could tell this man has been through many things that no normal man should.

Then, his words finally reached the analytical part of his brain, and his mind was reeling with confusion. He mentioned something about not wanting to harm a replacement. What did he mean by that?

More importantly, Nightwing seemed to know that he had a pretty messed up history when it came to family, that much was obvious. That would mean he knew more than most of the League did about his past, even before he became Batman. His breath hitched as he finally realized the possible severity of the situation.

"You know who I am." he said breathlessly, his eyes widening in both shock and slight fear. Not for himself, of course, but for the people who he left back at his home.

Nightwing gave him a satisfied smirk and stepped back a step, making more distance between himself and the Dark Knight.

"You bet, Brucie. But don't worry, as I said before, I won't hurt you or the replacement."

"What are you talking about? Who's the 'replacement'?" Batman blurted out, confusion overriding his fear and worry. Nightwing gave a slight laugh.

"I thought you were supposed to be the World's Greatest Detective? I'm talking about Bird boy 3.0." it was stated as though it were an obvious answer, which made Batman narrow his eyes in warning.

Even if he may be a bit confused, and not at his peak at the moment, did not mean this man could talk to him in such a way.

"Why are you referring to Robin as a replace-" he cut himself off short, finally taking a close up on his facial structure and features, realizing exactly where he had seen this man before.

Or, rather, where he had seen this child, this teenager before.

A whole new Tsunami of emotions crashed over him, making him physically stumble back from the man with wide, unbelieving eyes. His mouth was wide with shock, and his whole body became numb. The emotions in his mind all fumbled together, and the man couldn't distinguish one from the other. Angry mixed with happiness, while simultaneously disbelief collided with sadness.

Nightwing simply gave him a raised eyebrow, while his seemingly ever-present smirk diluted for a fraction of a second. He was a little bewildered, and-even though he wouldn't outwardly admit it-concerned by the complete 180 turn in emotions.

Finally, as a moment of silence fell upon them, he realized with slight shock why the Bat was simply staring at him with his jaw on the floor.

A small smile now graced his features. Instead of the smugness and pleasure it had once been filled with, there was a slight warmth to it. It seemed as though it radiated a light, one that the man in front of him longed to see again for what seemed like eternity.

"I see your detective mind finally pieced it all together." he said softly, watching as Batman's expression continued to flurry between a multitude of emotions.

But he continued to stand and stare, unable to believe his eyes. In all honesty, he thought somehow Scarecrow had injected him with Fear Toxin, and this seemingly peaceful and heart-wrenching moment would soon turn for the worst. Then, reality finally seemed to settle in his mind, and he took a hesitant step forward after making sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"R-Richard?" he whispered, barely audible to the young man standing before him.

"The one and only! Honestly, no one could replace me if they tried!" his eyes, filled with joy just a moment before, then turned somber, a slightly dark glint sparked within. "And believe me, I know people have..."

The last part of Nightwings sentence fell on deaf ears as Batman took another few steps closer. His shock was still clearly evident on his face, but it seemed as if the man was finally getting better control over his emotions.

The younger eyed him warily as he continued to get closer. He severely doubted that the Bat would make any harmful move towards him, but it never hurt to be prepared for anything to happen. It was that kind of mentality that kept him alive after that fateful night on the rooftop. He couldn't trust anyone, had nowhere he could call home for more than two days, and was constantly on the run from a infamous, beyond livid mercenary.

It was only when he killed the man himself that he could finally be at ease. And, of course, taking every and all precautions to make him stay gone. He lived in a pretty messed up universe after all. Plus, he had no doubt that Slade could be brought back to life, as he had just seen his brother, who had died half a year ago, on a contract from the League of Shadows.

Some people might question why exactly he hadn't stopped him from committing such a terrible act. Taking a life, after all, is one of the worst things a person can accomplish.

But, for the sake of his brothers most likely frail mental state, Nightwing simply moved on without a second glance.

Later on, he almost regretted that choice and felt partly guilty, knowing what kind of monster he was turning into. One who was by fueled by hate and revenge, like he once was before Bruce showed him another way. And Nightwing knew that without any guidance, he would soon be no better than the people he swore to protect all those years ago.

But he was selfish. He saw the one who was supposed to replace him and automatically hated him. Now, though, he wished he just stopped and talked to him. Nothing could change that now.

Finally Batman paused, just inches away from his previous thought deceased son, and slowly brought up his hand. Nightwing tensed, thinking he was going for his utility belt. But as the man's hand moved past the belt full of weapons and gadgets and continued upward, he became curious about his actions and relaxed his stance.

His hand was now at head level, and very slowly, he reached out towards Nightwings face. He raised an eyebrow, but made no move to push him away.

Then, the hand rested on the side of his face, cupping his cheek. It stayed like that for a few silent seconds, before it moved slightly upward. Nightwing felt a small tug on his skin near his temples, a jolt of alarm rushing through his body.

But once again, as the man pulled a bit harder, with more resolve, he said nothing and didn't move an inch.

This seemed to drive him forward, and with one final tug, the piece of fabric covering his eyes and shielding his identity fluttered to the ground. Normally he would have panicked, but he felt an odd sense of relief and warmth at the action.

They stayed like that, sparkling azure eyes looking on into the whites of the Bats cowl. Neither of them said a word, letting the silence swaddle them like a warm blanket. It was only them, the world around them seeming to fade out as they looked on in the features neither of them had seen in years.

Suddenly Batman was on the younger man, strong arms enveloping the buff frame in a fierce hug.

Nightwings eyes widened, and for a moment he had a fleeting thought of the man trying to attack him. But as those secure arms wrapped themselves even tighter around him, he hesitantly brought his own arms up to reciprocate the warm gesture.

In all of his years at the Manor, as both Robin and Richard John Grayson, had this man actually hugged him. Not when he was down, injured, or needed consoling after his parents death anniversary rolled around. It was just how the man operated. Sure, there were some pats of the shoulder, the occasional ruffling of hair, or even the miraculously rare one armed embrace, but never anything to this degree.

Which is why, as he could hear an almost inaudible sniffle behind his shoulder, a warm smile enveloped his features.

For the first time in a very long time, he felt genuinely happy. Almost like a blissful wave of peace had gently washed over him. It felt so, amazingly beautiful.

The younger's arms tightened the hold even further, burying his face into the pitch black cape of the elder. His throat welled up, and he fought with all of his strength to keep the dam from breaking.

But as another sniffle reached his ears, and the soft, hoarse voice spoke, his smile widened and the dam finally broke, all of Nightwings being rejoicing in the embrace of his long needed father.

"I love you too, Richard." 

**Yep! That's it! First time actually writing a happy ending, and while it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside (for once…) it kinda felt weird. I'm so used to bad endings with lots of tears and blood…I'm really messed up.**

 **Hope everyone enjoyed this short story, and check out my other Robin centric story "To Lose a Bird". It's Young Justice, not Teen Titans, but if you like Robin you can check it out.**

 **Thank to you all who read this, I love all of you!**

 **~BluePinetree**

 **PS- I kinda mixed Dick's personality with Jason's after he gets resurrected, so that's kinda why he resents the other Robins a bit, if ya'll were confused!**

 **(Okay, that's really it, see you in one of my other books!)**


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